SURF Groups
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PPA’s SURF Group Program
PPA’s SURF (Social Understanding and Relationship Fundamentals) Group Program has been a trusted community partner for over 20 years, providing engaging and impactful social learning experiences for children and adolescents. Using a combination of proven strategies, primarily based on Social Thinking methodology and Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBI), our programs provide a dynamic and effective approach to developing and refining social skills. Many families share that their children not only enjoy attending our group programs, but also experience meaningful progress in their social competencies and relationships.
PPA’s Social Understanding & Relationship Fundamentals (SURF) Groups
Are you looking for your child, adolescent, or young adult to make gains in socialization and overall skills? PPA offers two programs to improve Social Skills: SURF Group Program and PEERS® Program for Adolescents and Young Adults.
Our SURF Groups aim to
PPA’s SURF (Social Understanding & Relationship Fundamentals) Group Programs have been successful for over 20 years providing stimulating, fun and effective social experiences for participants. Many of our families report that their children/adolescents love to attend, and they see positive changes. Our SURF Groups aim to:
- Foster Successful Peer Relationships
- Develop and Improve Self-Monitoring and Self-Regulation Skills
- Develop and Improve Flexibility and Adaptive/Cooperative Behaviors
- Develop Social Understanding, Improve Perspective Taking and Social Skills
- Enhance Self-Esteem, Increase Feelings of Competence while Reducing Anxiety
- Develop and Improve Pro-social Behaviors, Problem-Solving and Conflict Resolution Skills
We run weekly SURF Groups during the school year and offer various social skills summer camp programs. We provide SURF groups for individuals, ages 4 to 18 years old at the following locations: Aventura, Boca Raton, Miami Beach, South Miami, and Weston. For schedules and availability, feel free to contact us.
Meet Our SURF Group Facilitators
Frequently Asked Questions
- Browse our SURF groups webpage for information on the programs offered and schedules.
- Contact our staff about specific questions.
- Fill out the PPA Social Group Programs Registration Form (available online).
- Schedule and attend 30-minute consultation with group facilitator.
- Join weekly SURF group to learn new social skills while having fun.
SURF groups are held once per week for one hour. Each SURF group series has eight group sessions. Families commit to one series at a time.
Placement is primarily determined by social needs and age. During the initial 30-minute group consultation, the group facilitator meets with parent(s) and child/adolescent to determine social needs and treatment goals, as well as to gather pertinent background information.
We offer the option for you to schedule an abbreviated (30-minute) make-up session for any missed group session. If you know ahead of time that you will need to miss a session, please notify the group facilitator, and ask about scheduling a make-up session in advance.
For SURF programs, a new member can join at any time during the first 3 groups of a series and the fee will be prorated. We do not accept new members after the 4th group of series; instead, those potential new members can join at the start of the following group series.
Insurance coverage for group therapy services can vary, so we recommend contacting your insurance provider in advance to review your specific benefits for group therapy services (CPT code 90853). However, please note that PPA is an out-of-network provider. We are happy to provide a statement (superbill) that you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. We suggest requesting this statement at the end of the group series, after all sessions have been completed, to streamline the process with a single claim.
